According to marketing expert Seth Godin, three things are key to a successful small business.

They are, according to this post on his blog:

1) the ability to abandon a plan when it doesn’t work,
2) the confidence to do the right thing even when it costs you money in the short run, and
3) enough belief in other people that you don’t try to do everything yourself.

The first thing that jumps out? That these are three incredibly difficult traits to master. But Godin is right on here — it’s the ability to make hard decisions like these that separates you. That goes not just for business but for pretty much any long-term endeavor.